Katara
by ALadyBugsChoice
Summary: A different story of the Avatar.
1. A Decision

"People of the Southern Water Tribe, listen to our demands and nobody will be injured."

Something was different about this Fire Nation solider. He didn't feel rage and anger, he wasn't mad. He was sorrowful; he was hurt. I could see it in him, he wasn't going to hurt innocent people. He wasn't lying, unlike all the others before him.

"If the Southern Water Tribe becomes an ally of the Fire Nation, we will no longer visit your tribe. We would have no reason to. However, if you choose not to, you will become an enemy of the Fire Nation."

What were they going to do? Burn it down? They already had. The tribe was barely on the map. Are they still after waterbenders? Are they still after me?

"We gave you people our last waterbender," an old man shouted, "why can't you just leave us alone already?"

That was a lie. Everybody knew that, well, we did. I am the last waterbender of the Southern Water Tribe. My mother had sacrificed herself to save me. The Fire Nation killed my mother. Anything and everything they got was too good for them.

"I am not in search of any waterbenders; if you happen to have one in your little village, that's somebody else's problem. I'm in search of something else, something much more important."

I thought I heard him mutter something under his breath. Something about "restoring honor". What is he in search of?

"If we do ally with you," I heard an elderly woman say, "your forces will leave us immediately, correct? Nobody will get hurt, is that what you are saying?"

"That's correct. We would just need your cooperation. After that, we would never return."

It was silent. Nobody spoke. Everybody was thinking about it, trying to decide what to say next. It was quite an interesting deal. If we did ally with them, we would be betraying everybody. But, what could we do? Most of the village consists of elderly and children; we would never last.

"We accept your offer."

The village elder, who happened to be my grandmother, accepted his terms. She knew that if we did not accept, they would attack. If they would attack, our village would be done for.

But that isn't the way others saw it. Many were outraged. My brother, Sokka, included. They didn't realize the conequences.

"Wise decision," he said, silencing the outraged crowd, "I just have one question for you all."

What is his question? What does he want? Why has he come here, of all places?

"Where is, the Avatar?"


	2. A Mistake

That night, while everyone was sleeping, I snuck out of my tent. I had to find out why this man was here. Why here? What could we possibly offer to the Fire Nation? And why should we tell them anything? They hunted down all the waterbenders in the tribe, and then they killed my mother.

"If they think they can just come back in here like that, they have another thing coming. There is still one more waterbender in the village," I had to say it. It was reassuring.

The Fire Nation ships were still stationed on the shore, thankfully. I was worrying that I would have to steal a canoe and find a way in through the bottom of the ship, which wouldn't have happened. The only problem I saw, was the sentry. He was posted right in the middle of the walkway; I would never be able to get past him.

Sometimes, my luck just scares me. As soon as I got there, the sentry left his post. Maybe they all thought nothing was going to happen, but this was my chance. I had to get onto the boat, sneak in and find the captain. Find that one solider.

I ran up the walkway as fast as I could, if anybody was going to catch me, they were going to have to work for it. No guards were posted outside; my luck continues.

I scanned the deck once more, and then swiftly moved to the below deck. Below deck was a lot different than the upper deck. I heard guards laughing and yelling around the corner. I was scared. If I moved, they would catch me. I know it. But I was already too far in, there was no turning back now.

"Well, well, well,"

Oh no.

"What have we here?"

I didn't dare look up. I couldn't. I wouldn't. But I knew that they saw me. And now, they were standing in front of me. I had been caught. Captured by the men who had also killed my mother.

"Wha'dya think we should do with her?" a man asked the other soliders.  
They were drunk. If they were drunk, they probably couldn't use their firebending very well. I could take them on. It was only, eh, twenty against one.  
I had been practicing this new waterbending move. It turned water into a whip, but I just started practicing it. But, I have to try. Or, I might as well just say goodbye to my freedom.

* * *

"Who are you?"  
I didn't speak. I didn't want to meet him on these terms. Not like this. But there was something about him, something off. He wasn't drunk, that's probably why he beat me. Not only that, but he burned me.

"Look," he said, trying to soothe me, but only actually scaring me more, "I burned you on accident. I didn't mean to. I just thought you had attacked everyone."

"Was killing my mother an accident, too?" I couldn't hold back. I had to ask him. "What? Now you don't want to talk to me? Why don't you answer my questions first? Who are you? Why are you here?"

This time, he wasn't speaking.

"I came here hoping, just hoping, you could give me the answers I wanted. There's something about you. You aren't like all the other Fire Nation soldiers that have come here. Well, that's what I thought," I said, looking at the burned area on my arm. "But, that's the problem. You are the same. You all are monsters."

I couldn't stand to be here anymore. I got up from the chair I had been sitting in. I couldn't look at him anymore, and I'm sure he thought the same about me.  
I could've sworn he yelled at me as I was walking away, but I didn't risk the chance of stopping.


	3. Zuko

The next day, the Fire Nation ordered for the tribe to assemble in front of the warships. But, I'm not going. I can't face those soliders. I can't face those monsters. I refuse to speak to any of them. I can't and I won't.

It seems like my own opinion doesn't matter here. Gran-Gran is making me go; she says the quicker they're out of here, the better. Her logic made sense. I wanted them out of here, too...

I also wanted to speak to that solider once more. I wanted my answers, and this might be the only chance I have to get them. As much as I hated him for burning me, I had to talk to him once more. And this time, I wasn't going to leave.

I made sure to get a spot in the front. The solider had to see me, I know he would. If he didn't see me, I would see him. Then, I would get my answers. If I had to throw all of the firebenders into the ocean just to get my answers, I will. I will do anything. I just have to find out why my mother was murdered. And by who.

And that's exactly what happened. While I had my eyes closed, a Fire Nation solider came over and grabbed me by the hand. My reflex was to pull my hand away, but then I looked up at who it was. It was the solider from last night, the one who burned my whole arm. I heard Sokka calling my name, but this was my problem now. I got myself into this mess.

The solider literally dragged me up the walkway. At this point, since there were no other guards on board, I took my other hand and attempted to waterbend with one hand. There was a bucket nearby that was filled to the brim with water. A second later, the bucket tipped over and water sprayed everywhere. The solider then slipped in the water and released my hand.

"Tell me right now," I nearly yelled, "why are you really here?"

He struggled to get up at first. Everytime he attempted to get back up, he just slipped again. I couldn't help it. I burst out laughing.

"What, a big, bad Fire Nation solider can't handle a little water?" I taunted. I knew I was going to far, but I couldn't help it. He deserved it.

"If it makes you feel better, you weren't the only one who lost a mother."

Did I just hear that right?

"My mother was trying to protect me, but doing so, she was banished from the Fire Nation. I haven't seen her since then."

I couldn't believe me and this man had something in common. He lost his mother to the Fire Nation. But she was banished, not killed. It wasn't the same, but I still felt bad about harassing him.

"I'm sorry," I whispered. I doubt he heard me. I felt terrible now.

He finally managed to stand up. He grabbed onto my hand once again and lead me down below deck. I couldn't face him after what just happened. But, I have no choice. This is my only chance.

"Look, I think that we both need to start over from the beginning," I suggested, "I can start. My name is Katara, and, well, I'm the last waterbender from the Southern Water Tribe."

He looked, puzzled. Was he confused that my attitude changed? Was it that I just told him who I am?

"You're the last waterbender?"

He didn't think I was. He didn't believe me.

"Not the last. Just the last that lives in the South Water Tribe," I corrected him, "now please, tell me who you are."

He seemed heisitant at first. He didn't trust me, either. Was it because I was what he would call a 'peasant'? Is it because he had royal blood and I didn't?

"My name is Zuko. I'm the Exiled Prince from the Fire Nation."


	4. Goodbye

"You mean, you'll bring me to the Northern Water Tribe so I can master waterbending?" I said in disbelief, "I never thought a firebender would offer that to me. What's the catch?"

"After you master waterbending, you must help me find the Avatar."

Why is he after the Avatar?  
"What is it with you and the Avatar? What does the Avatar have? He has been missing for one-hundred years now. I doubt that there are anymore Avatars," but I secretly did hope that an Avatar was still alive somewhere.

"Is it a deal or not?"

I had to think about this. Sokka would be furious with me, but Gran-Gran would understand. Wouldn't she? What about everybody else? Am I betraying everybody?

"Can I have a day to think about it?" It didn't really matter what he said at this point, or anyone for that matter. If I had the chance to go learn waterbending, I would. I already told everybody that.

"If by that you mean that you need to go tell your family, then go. Tonight, meet back at the warships here. I'll have somebody waiting for you."

* * *

"Katara, you aren't leaving this village without me. And you definitely aren't leaving with the Fire Nation. We've already lost so much, we aren't going to lose you, too," Sokka had been yelling at me for awhile now, but he still hasn't been able to change my mind.

"I'm leaving tomorow. And I'm leaving alone."

Gran-Gran hadn't said a single thing the whole time. It was because she always knew what would happen if Katara was offered the chance at waterbending.

"If you leave, Katara," this was going to be his trump card, "you will no longer be a member of the Southern Water Tribe."

I can't believe he was threatening me with that. He used to use that when were kids and I wouldn't give him something.

"Goodbye, Sokka."

I stood up from the table we had been eating at and stormed out of the tent. I guess this was it. This was goodbye. I'll be back, someday. I'll see everybody again, someday. But for today, this is goodbye.

* * *

"I see that you kept your promise." He said it as if I wasn't going to come back. He still didn't trust me.

"Look, I'm not in the mood to play around with you right now. Let's just leave, right now. Please."

He said something to the solider that was going to start sailiing the ship. I wasn't quite sure what he had said, but I saw the look the solider gave me. He was disgusted that I was on board. I was disgusted with him, too.

Zuko led me below deck and showed me to a room that I could use for the time being. It was really small and it could barely fit us two in it, but I can see why he would give this room to me. He probably hated me, too. I wasn't here for him, I was here so I could learn waterbending.

"Katara," he put his hand on my shoulder, "I just wanted to thank you for agreeing to help find the Avatar."

"Please, just leave me alone. I need to be left alone."

He left and I sat on the bed. It was barely a bed. It was just boxes that were pushed together with a small blanket covering it. I wasn't going to sleep on that. I don't care if they thought I was a peasant girl, I wasn't going to live like this.

I tried opening the door. It wouldn't open. I pounded on the door, hoping somebody would hear me. Then I realized what had just happened. That Zuko locked me in.


End file.
